Agnipath Scheme: Bharat Bandh Partially Successful in Some States, Modi in Defence of the Scheme

Manas Dasgupta

NEW DELHI, June 20: Even after warning by the three service chiefs failed to douse the fire against the “Agnipath” recruitment proposals, the prime minister Narendra Modi on Monday personally came out in defence of his government’s scheme claiming that it would be helpful for nation building in future.

Despite the government standing its ground that the “Agnipath scheme” would not be rolled back at any cost, the call for “Bharat Bandh” demanding the scheme’s withdrawal, met with partial success in several states even as the armed forces issued notifications for the induction of soldiers under the scheme. The online registration for the recruitment in army begins in July, the notification said.

Over 500 trains have been cancelled on Monday in view of the Bharat Bandh call in parts of the country over the centre’s ‘Agnipath’ scheme. This included 348 passenger trains and 181 Mail/Express trains, the Railways Ministry said. As many as four Mail/Express trains and six passenger trains were partially cancelled. The railways has suffered a major loss of property due to arson and rioting by the protesters over the last five days.

Congress leaders have sat on a ‘Satyagraha’ at Jantar Mantar in the national capital to express solidarity with the armed forces aspirants protesting against the ‘Agnipath’ scheme. Some Youth Congress workers were detained after they blocked a train at the Shivaji Bridge railway station near Connaught Place. Parts of Delhi witnessed traffic jams as the police have tightened security across the city and its bordering areas.

Addressing a rally at Bengaluru on the first day of his two-day visit to Karnataka, Modi without directly referring to the “Agnipath” scheme, said some decisions “may look unfair” at first, but would help in nation-building  later. “Several decisions look unfair at present. In time, those decisions will help in building the nation,”

In Haryana, a group of job aspirants blocked the Lal Batti Chowk in Fatehabad, while several others staged a protest on roads in Rohtak district. Security has been stepped up at several locations in Kerala, Telangana, West Bengal and Rajasthan also to avoid any untoward incident.

Uttar Pradesh Police said strict action would be taken against those found involved in jeopardising peace. In Punjab, the police have been asked to monitor the activities of social media groups which are allegedly mobilising or spreading instigating information about the scheme.

The Bihar government has increased security at party offices considered vulnerable. As of now, internet services remain shut in 20 districts. In Jharkhand, all schools remained close and the ongoing examinations of class 9 and 11 have been postponed amid protests over the scheme.

The three services of the military on Sunday came out with a broad schedule of enrolment under the ‘Agnipath’ scheme and warned those who indulged in violence and arson will not be inducted.

After reserving 10 per cent quota for retrenched “Agniveers,” the union Home Ministry on Monday further decided to give 3 years of age relaxation beyond the prescribed upper age limit to them for recruitment in Central Armed Police Forces and Assam Rifles.

The Home and Defence ministries on Saturday promised new 10 per cent quotas each in jobs for ‘Agnipath’ recruits after their four-year tenure in the armed forces. Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that the PSUs under his housing and petroleum ministries are also working on plans to induct ‘Agniveers’.

Protests erupted in several states after June 14 when the centre unveiled the ‘Agnipath’ recruitment plan. Under the scheme, people between 17.5 and 21 years will be recruited in the armed forces for a four-year period, followed by compulsory retirement for most without gratuity and pension benefits.

Despite violent flare-up across the country, the government is standing firm. The military has declared that this was a long-awaited change in tune with the global trend that is increasingly focussed on the use of cutting-edge technology in warfare and a younger age profile for soldiers that’s more in tune with it.

The mandatory retirement for most after four years without any gratuity or pension — however, has generated fury in the backdrop of large-scale unemployment and economic depression. The government’s offer of several avenues of employment for “Agniveers” — including in police, paramilitary forces, home and defence ministries — has failed to mollify protesters who have been on the warpath since the June 14 announcement.

Security has been heightened across the country. In Delhi, major traffic jams were reported en route to Noida, where section 144 has been imposed, and Gurgaon at Delhi’s borders amid increased security checks by the police. In Bihar, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala, police were deployed at key locations to prevent any untoward incidents. Nearly 530 trains were cancelled Monday in the wake of the Agnipath protests.